Tank-filling nozzle with gauge



March 20, .1934.

G. M. CROSS TANK FILLING NOZZLE WITH GAUGE Filed oct. 10, 1,932

VIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII u Invemor. Grosvenor M. C ross Patented Mar. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application October 10,

1932, Serial No. 636,974

3 Claims. (01. 22666) This invention relates to filling nozzles for tanks and the principal object of the invention is to provide a tank-filling nozzle with mechanism including a gauge operable to indicatewhen the liquid in the tank has reached a predetermined level.

More specifically the invention comprises a nozzle for the hose employed at gasoline filling stations, and the like, having a conduit provided with a gauge through which liquid from the tank is caused to flow by suction produced by the flow of liquid through the nozzle into the tank.

A further object of the invention is to provide a nozzle of the character described which will be of rugged construction, practically immune to injury in use, and which can be cheaply constructed.

These and other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawing and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a preferred form of nozzle embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on line 2-2 Fig. l; and,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on line 33 Fig. l.

The drawing illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention shows only the nozzle through which liquid is delivered from a suitable supply to a tank, or other receptacle, it being understood that the nozzle may be secured to apreferably flexible hose leading from the supply with a shut-off valve conveniently located in proximity to the nozzle to enable the flow of liquid to be quickly permitted or shut off.

The liquid may be supplied to the nozzle from the source of supply either by a pump or by a reservoir located at such height as to give a substantial head to the column of liquid entering the nozzle. The nozzle comprises a body portion 1,

preferably of tubular form, having at its upper end a screw threaded nipple 2 by means of which it may be attached to the casing of a shut-oft valv of any desirable construction such as that con entionally illustrated in Fig. 1, or to a hose with means for cutting ofi the flow of liquid therethrough, and at its opposite end with a preferably curved portion 3 adapted to be inserted through the usual filling aperture in the tank.

The nozzle may be made of any suitable material, such as brass, steel, or the like, and is provided with a main longitudinally extending passage 4 having at a. distance from the discharge end, and preferably in proximity to the inlet end, a constricted portion formed by oppositely dis-. posed conoidal converging walls 5 and 6 merging into a narrow throat 7 and providing a Venturi-tube operable totincrease the velocity of the liquid as it passes through the throat 7 of the passage. The nozzle also is provided with a longitudinally extending passage of relatively small cross sectional area as compared with the cross sectional area of the main passage and which is provided with an open lower end in proximity to the discharge end of the nozzle and. communicates at its opposite end with the throat '7 to provide a suction passage through which liquid from the tank will be drawn by inspiration produced by the flow of the fluid through the Venturitube upon immersion of the open lower end of the. suction conduit by the liquid in the tank. The wall of the suction conduit is provided with transparent means enabling observation to be trade of the flow of liquid in the suction passage when induced by the flow of liquid through the Venturitube.

in the body of the nozzle, which desirably is of substantially circular cross section and somewhat tapered from the upper end to the lower end, is provided with a longitudinally extending hollow rib 8, the passage in which may be conveniently constructed by drilling a bore 9 longitudinally of the main portion of the rib and by similarly drilling a communicating bore 10 through the portion of the rib which extends at an angle to the main portion and closing the entrance for the drill into the wall of the rib in proximity to the junction of the bores by a suitable plug 11. Desirably a certain portion or portions of the walls of the rib are omitted for a short distance and the passage through the rib enlarged to provide a chamber 12 for a gauge glass at some convenient portion of the suction passage, preferably in proximity to the inlet end of the nozzle, with a portion-'13 of the wall forming a bridge over the chamber 12 which will effectively protect the gauge glass against injury. In order to mount the gauge glass in the rib, the rib is counterbored from the upper end sufficiently to receive a cylindrical gauge glass 14 and a washer 15 interposed between the end of the gauge glass and vthe shoulder of the counterbore.

The end portion 16 of the rib beyond the bridge 13 is again coimterbored and screw threaded to receive a plug 17' having an angular'head 18 by means of which it maybe screwed into place. A washer 19 is interposed between the end of the' In the preferred construction illustrated hereplug and the other end of the gauge glassto provide a tight joint. 1

Suitablemeans are-provided for establishing communication between the passage in the rib and the throat 7 of the Venturi-tube. In the preferred construction such a passage 20 is produced by drilling obliquely from the bore in the end portion 16 of the rib through the body of the nozzle into communication withthe throat {7, of the venturi.

In the particular construction illustrated herein the plug 17 is provided with an axial bore 21 which communicates with an annular peripheral recess 22 in the plug 17 which in turn communicates with the passage 20.' Suitable means desirably are provided for determining the depth into which the discharge end of the nozzle is inserted into the tank, so thatwhen the liquidin the tank has reached a predetermined level, which will submerge the open end of the suction conduit,

the flow of liquid will be induced in the suction conduit by the flow of liquid through the Venturitube. Any suitable means may be provided for accomplishing this purpose. In the preferred construction the lower end of the rib 8 terminates slightly short of the end of the nozzle and is provided with an upwardly extending boss 23 having an abrupt shoulder 24 which may be raised into.

engagement with the under surface of a suitable portion of the upper wall of the tank.- The rib may, however, be provided with a plurality of shouldered stops of like character which may be placed into engagement with an upper or lower surface of a portion'of the top or other wall of the tank in such manner as to position the end of the nozzle at such predetermined distance from the bottomof the tank as may be required to determine the desired depth of liquid in the tank.

In the operation of the particular embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, the end of the nozzle will be inserted through the filling aperture in the tank and the nozzle thereupon raised until the shoulder 24 engages the under face of the upper wall of the tank. Liquid will then 'be admitted to the nozzle through the usual shutoff'valve and will continue to flow from the nozzle into the tank. As the liquid level .in the tank nears the top, waves, splashes, bubbles, there of will reach the lower end of the suction passage 10 and these will pass upwardly through the suction conduit 9 and gauge glass 14, thereby giving a clear indication of the approach of the liquid level to the top of the tank. As the level grows higher the number of splashes re ching the opening will grow greater and more an more bubbles ofliquid will pass through the gauge glass until finally as the tank is full clear liquid will be drawn through showing clearly that the tank is filled, thus enabling the operator to shut off delivery of the liquid into the tank in ample time to prevent the tank from running over and the wastage of gasoline, or other liquid, being delivered to the tank.

. ing the hard usage to which it may be subjected.

'munication between the bore of said rib and It will be understood that the particular embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is of an illustrative character and is not restrictive of the scope and meaning of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A tank-filling nozzle" comprising a tubular body having a main passage for liquid extending longitudinally thereof and provided with a constricted portion located at a distance from the discharge end of said nozzle iorming a Venturitube, a rib extending longitudinally of said body and bored longitudinally to provide a passage of small cross-sectional area relatively to that of I said main passage, the upper end of said rib having a countersunk bore and the walls of said rib adjacent said bore being provided with an aperture, a gauge glass mounted in the countersunk portion of said bore and protected from injury by the remainder of the wall of said rib, said body having a. passageway establishing communication between the chamber of said gauge glass and said Venturi-tube, and means for sealing the upper end of said countersunk bore.

2. A tank-filling nozzle comprising a tubular "body having a straight section and an' end section extending at an angle to the axis thereof, and having a main passage for liquid extending longitudinally of said sections with a constricted portion of said straight section forming a 'Ven- 'turi-tu'be, a rib extending longitudinally of said said Venturi-tube, said rib having a counterbore extending inwardly from the upper end of said rib, a gauge glass mounted in said counterbore, a screw threaded plug mounted in the upper end of said rib having an axial bore communicating with the chamber of said gauge glass and an annular recess communicating with the bore of said plug thereby establishing communication between said Venturi-tube and the bores of said rib to provide a suction'conduit, and the wall of said rib having a lateral aperture permitting observation of said gauge glass. 3. A tank filling nozzle presenting a liquid discharge passage'extending longitudinally therethnough with a section of said passage forming a Venturi-tube, the said nozzle also having a suction conduit extending longitudinally thereof with one end opening into the throat of the Venturi-tube and the other end opening in proximity to the discharge end of the nozzle, the wall of said suction conduit at a substantial distance from the discharge-end having a transparent exterior portion through which liquid flow in the conduit is observable, whereby when the level of the liquid discharge by the nozzle into the tank reaches the open end of the suction conduit, an observable flow will be induced in the conduit by the action of the Venturi-tube.

. GROSVENOR M. CROSS. 

